Conventionally, for example as shown in attached FIG. 9 and as disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho. 49 (1974)-42601, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, a manual chain block has a load sheave supported rotatably between a pair of side frames so as to be driven interlockingly by a manual actuating device comprising a hand wheel and a hand chain and a load chain which is looped around the load sheave and has a hook on its load side with its no-load side anchored to an anchoring pin 102 disposed between the side frames 101. Further, between the side frames 101 there is provided a load chain guide 105 for making the load chain 104 mesh smoothly with the load sheave 103. When the load sheave 103 is driven to rotate by an operation of the hand chain of the manual actuating device, the load side portion 104a of the load chain 104 is raised or lowered so as to lift or lower a cargo by the hook of its load side end portion.
When lowering the cargo by unwinding the load side portion 104a of the load chain 104, since an end of the no-load portion 104b is anchored to pin 102, the no-load side portion 104b anchored to the anchoring pin 102 takes merely a tensioned state so as to be prevented from further unwinding even though the load side portion 104a of the load chain 104 has been unwound for lowering to the utmost limit.